Blade's Edge
by Mona Ryder
Summary: She felt as if her whole life, and the lives of those around her, rested on the edge of one of the artfully crafted blades her clan was well known for producing.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Naruto and all characters and worlds associated with it belong solely to Masashi Kishimoto.

A/N: Well, here's another one. I've been working on this one for a while, so I'm really excited about writing more chapters for it. By the way, I did use OC parents for Sakura, mainly because I thought this up before RtN and also because her parents wouldn't exactly fit into this story well. Soo... Yeah.

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Madara had to keep from audibly grinding his teeth together as he and Hashirama were admitted into the massive mountainside compound of that last clan the Senju leader wanted to convince to help with his dream of Konohagakure. The journey had been extremely cold up the mountain, but the second that they stepped inside the mountain turned home that changed. The air around them was warm and filled with the sounds of swords clashing as warriors trained and the firm pound of a hammer on steel as craftsmen worked their trade. The light bell like sound of children laughing could be heard deeper within the compound as the guards watched their newest guests carefully, hands resting comfortably on the hilts of the swords they wore that characterized their clan to the shinobi world.

"I still don't see why they are necessary to your vision of peace, Hashirama," The leader of the Senju clan glanced over at his longtime rival as they were led through variously well-crafted tunnels deeper into the mountain. The Uchiha looked both highly uncomfortable and disgusted as he took in his surroundings. Hashirama hardly found it surprising that the man was so uneasy; the Uchiha clan never seemed to get along with this particular clan. Madara seemed to be under the impression that the members of the clan were not considered shinobi even though most in the clan were highly proficient in the shinobi arts. He personally found their peculiar ability to stay without enemies intriguing and that was only one of the many reasons he sought an alliance.

"I would rather they be my ally instead of being my enemy, wouldn't you?" Madara wanted to glare at Hashirama, but he had to concede the point that this particular family would be much better on his side than that of his enemy's. They were considered one of the strongest clans in the shinobi world and they had a strength that wasn't the same as what the Uchiha and Senju clans had. This clan had no kekkei genkai or special technique that they passed through the generations. What they had was a unique mastery of swordsmanship that few could match and smithing skills that many envied. Kenjutsu masters and blacksmiths of the highest caliber made up the one clan that excelled in close quarters combat amongst shinobi. The Uchiha knew that if they didn't get the clan involved now in Konoha then the likelihood of them choosing other clans to ally with was extremely high.

However, as soon as the two shinobi leaders were admitted into the war room of the compound Madara remembered why he was so at odds when dealing with this clan in particular. They were matriarchal, a strict opposition to the patriarchal society of the Uchiha clan. Here the clan leader was always female and her firstborn female child always took over upon the leader's death. There were so many women in this clan that they had become widely known as having a majority of female warriors over male warriors. He knew that men were not considered second class citizens in the clan and they did have a say in how things went, but the leader always had the final say. The current leader, who was a rather beautiful woman in her own right he had to admit silently, stood next to a massive war table clad in an elegant battle kimono with her pale red hair pulled into a ponytail, her arm resting against the hilt of an artfully crafted katana. Hashirama was the first to approach her, ever the diplomat, and the Uchiha leader decided he would simply observe the two until he felt that his input was needed. The woman smirked at them as confidence came off of her in waves.

"Kazue-dono, a pleasure to see you again," The beginnings of a smirk stretched over Kazue's face and Madara had to resist from reminding the Senju that the last time they had met was probably across a battlefield. The clan leader gave them a cordial smile, after all her clan was well known for having a rather pleasant disposition most of the time, and extended her hand towards them. Normally both men would have pressed a kiss to her knuckles as if she were a regular noblewoman, but they knew that was not what she was searching for. Sharp blue eyes watched them closely as both moved forward to shake her hand firmly. Madara noticed the rough texture of her skin and instantly attributed it to the time she spent smithing weapons.

"Hashirama-dono, Madara-dono," there was a subtle teasing note in her voice as she addressed them that made Madara want to snarl viciously. "I trust that you have a good reason for your…unexpected visit."

"Indeed, we have a proposition of sorts to make. Shall we sit?" Hashirama gestured to the chairs surrounding the table and Kazue glanced over for a second before leaning against the edge of said table.

"You may sit, if you wish," Her words made it clear that she would not sit down with two potentially deadly shinobi in the room. It was a wise choice, even if some part of Madara wanted her to sit down just so that he could look down on her. The Senju leader sighed quietly.

"We've come with an offer of peace," He told her quickly, taking no time to coax her into his idea like he had the Uchiha clan. The statement clearly caught her off guard and she shifted slightly, her stance seeming to relax from what he just now realized had been a defensive posture of someone ready for a fight. Her arm still rested upon her weapon but now it was more of a calm habit than a position to quickly behead someone. Those intense ice blue eyes flickered over to him for just a mere moment, not something most people would be able to catch, and he knew exactly what she was going to say next.

"Madara and peace hardly seem to go hand in hand," It was inevitable that Kazue saw him as some war mongering idiot. They had met more than once on the field and had fought viciously with each other, to the point that both clans thought the two leaders would be the death of each other. The female leader couldn't stand him, no matter how hard she tried to stay civil, and it was only too easy for him to repay the favor. Hashirama sighed, looking uneasy as soon as the statement had been issued.

"I lost Izuna to all the fighting," It was a lie, of course, as he had only wanted to keep fighting so that he could somehow prove that Izuna and all the carnage they had been through meant something. He knew that there was no need for any extra explanation as Kazue gave him a look that wasn't so much pity as it was understanding. She had clearly lost someone to all the fighting and savagery and for the briefest of moments he wondered who it was that could make her stop fighting and settle into a village. Sighing, the clan leader ran a hand through her long ponytail as if doing so would calm things down some.

"So how do you plan to achieve this flight of fancy, Hashirama?" The Senju seemed to straighten where he stood at the hope that Kazue would follow him with his plan.

"I planned on bringing together several shinobi clan and civilian families to create a village where everyone would protect each other," They were the same honeyed words that had turned the Uchiha clan against him, so Madara knew how effective they were to battle weary people like Kazue and her clan. The woman looked over at him again, as if sensing his own apprehensions against the idea of the village and living under one clan.

"What about issues within the clans?" He knew that she would ask such a question, after all her clan was wildly independent and rarely did they ask for the help of others in anything except a life or death situation. Even then, the number of alliances the clan held was extremely small considering how powerful they were. Even the Uchiha had gained the loyalty of more shinobi clans than Kazue's clan did.

"Clan issues are handled by the clan leader unless they affect the village as a whole, then the council deals with it accordingly," Everything was quiet for a minute as the kunoichi contemplated the unusual situation that had been placed before her by the Senju leader. Madara could see the wheels turning in her head and knew exactly what her fears were because they were his as well. Would their clans survive this merging under one clan, calling themselves a village when really it would likely be the Senju exerting control over other shinobi? Besides, such a place would be chaos and what guarantee could Hashirama give that everything wouldn't fall apart? He couldn't and Madara knew it. They all knew it.

"How do you know this plan of yours will play out the way you want it to?" Out of the corner of his eye, Madara saw Hashirama swallow what was most likely uncertainty as his hands shook uncontrollably. The Senju was clearly anxious about how this meeting would go and whether or not this clan would join him in his mad quest for peace amongst murderers. Why was Kazue's clan so important that it was making the great Senju Hashirama so nervous that his hands shook and sweat started to pour down his face?

"I don't. Not unless I have your clan at my side the whole way," The Uchiha leader felt his curiosity heighten at how much importance his rival had placed on the woman's shoulders. How did he know that it would all be well only if this clan joined them? He had never been so desperate when they had talked to other shinobi clans about this plan. Madara narrowed his eyes in suspicion. What was Hashirama up to? Kazue looked at them both and maybe she saw everything on their side at that moment, maybe she saw the future of this village in her mind's eye. Whatever the case, she smirked lightly and relaxed completely against the edge of the table she had been using as a rest.

"It would seem that the Haruno clan is now officially allied with the Uchiha and Senju clans," Kazue called in her advisor and sister to tell them the news without blinking, as if such a decision hadn't required the great amount of thought she had given it not moments ago. Hashirama watched the powerful woman walk away, calling back that they could stay for the night if they wished, and felt relief flood through his being. All of the plans that he had made regarding the village that was his dream now seemed firm and solid beneath his feet. Hashirama was positive that, even should his clan and his rival's clan die off, the Haruno clan would stay as the strong foundation of Konohagakure and make sure that it would be able to endure through the ages.

-Eighty Years Later-

Itachi loved coming to the Haruno clan compound, especially in the winter when the smiths were still working on weapons for the shinobi of the village and thus the entire complex was warm and comforting. The members of the clan were always inviting and gave him smiles when he accompanied his mother through the streets to see the clan leader, Naomi, anytime they Uchiha clan matriarch went out to buy groceries. Most days would find the excitable leader in the forge connected to her home crafting weapons for the exclusive use of the ANBU or finishing up a commission from another shinobi in the village. Itachi knew that she rarely accepted commissions or apprentices, the latter of which she had never had before, and most shinobi knew it as well.

The Haruno clan was well loved by all in the village, but none could command the same respect without trying as Naomi did. She was her clan's leader and matriarch and was widely considered to be the strongest of her family line, surpassing even the clan leader that had allied with the Uchiha and Senju so long ago, Kazue. The clan compound frequently saw younger shinobi and kunoichi come to ask for advice in either life or training from the strong woman, including the current Hokage and his wife, and more often than not she was an idol for young kunoichi to look up to. Naomi was well known for her fierce and protective personality, her magnificent swordsmanship and smithing skills, and by enemies her ability to tear apart those against her with ease. Many in the village, including his own father, claimed that she was a terrifying sight to behold on the battlefield.

What many did not know about the Haruno clan matriarch was that she was a master in the art of making sweets.

None knew this better than Itachi and his older cousin Shisui as both had been visiting the compound for years, each time hoping that she was working the kitchen and not the forge. The Uchiha clan heir could remember many days spent eating freshly made dango on the porch of the Haruno main house with his cousin and the ecstatic woman his father claimed as a friend. It was around the colder months that he spent more and more time at the Haruno main house eating sweets and reveling in the warmth emitted by the many forges working at the same time. Looking up into the sky, the young Uchiha noticed that it was steadily becoming night time and he knew that many of the forges were going to start being shut down soon but the normal autumn chill had yet to infect the compound and would likely only do so after he left with his prize.

He could hear the Haruno clan leader through the open kitchen window as she bustled around her massive kitchen making the finishing touches on the dango he had requested earlier in the day. His mother had taken him to see Naomi when they had gone on her weekly shopping trip and the woman had easily accepted his request for sweets for dessert after the dinner his mother would prepare. The meal would likely be ready when he got home late, but he knew that his father would not be angry with him when he discovered just where his elder son had been. If anyone liked Naomi's sweets more than her husband and Itachi, it was definitely Fugaku.

The sound of the shoji screen door sliding open quietly behind him made Itachi turn to see that the Haruno matriarch stood behind him with a triumphant look on her face. There was a white box in her hands that was tied closed tightly with a red ribbon and Itachi found that he could hardly wait until he was finished with his supper.

"Thanks for waiting so long, Itachi-kun. I had to close up my forge a little later than normal," She gave him a sheepish smile and he returned the look with one of his own soft smiles, knowing exactly why she had gotten distracted during her work today. Naomi had recently given birth to her first, and sadly only, child whom she adored more than life itself. All little Sakura had to do to gain her mother's attention was let out a single cry and the Haruno clan leader was at the babe's side in less than a second. He knew her fawning was partially because Sakura was the only child that Naomi would ever have, but Itachi also knew from experience that the woman loved children. He and Shisui had spent most of their lives being doted on by a mother that wasn't their own.

"It was no trouble Haruno-sama," A small tick made itself known above the woman's right eye at the overly respectful way he addressed her. But both knew that Mikoto was the demon of good manners and manners dictated that he shown her the respect she deserved as a clan leader and strong kunoichi. The much taller woman kneeled down until they were both at eye level and reached a hand out to stroke the cheek of his newborn baby brother that he had strapped across his chest. His parents had been against him taking Sasuke everywhere at first, but upon seeing how protective he was of the child they had relented. After all, the Haruno compound was rather close to the Uchiha compound and the Haruno clan itself would never let anything happen to a child.

"Sasuke-kun seems like such a well behaved child. No fussing at all," Itachi wondered if Sakura was overly fussy as she always seemed to be the best child in existence when he was around.

"He has his moments, like every baby I assume," Naomi grinned at him and for a moment time seemed to stop and everything felt perfect. Then a massive amount of malevolent chakra spiked right outside of the village, so much that even Sasuke's undeveloped senses caught onto it and he woke up to start wailing at the top of his lungs. From inside the house Itachi could hear Sakura respond with an equally loud cry and Naomi was gone before Sakura could start up again, the white box she had been holding now crushed on the ground. Itachi didn't know what was going on, the chakra that he felt was so full of hate and anger that it seemed oppressive, but he followed after the Haruno clan matriarch as fast as he could with a crying Sasuke wriggling around in his blanket.

Naomi was inside Sakura's nursery, holding the young child and cooing to her softly but nothing worked as she kept crying in synch with Sasuke. It was obviously the chakra that had frightened the two and the young Uchiha wondered what Naomi was going to do about it. After all, it had scared Sakura and that was enough to make her go into mother bear mode. A hardened look appeared in the woman's eyes as she quickly made a bunshin of herself that she passed her daughter onto before crossing the hallway into her own bedroom. Itachi watched as the bunshin move further down the hallway to a small closet that she opened up to reveal a set of stairs leading beneath the house. His father had always said that Naomi was a bit paranoid and the fact that she had a panic room only cemented that fact in Itachi's mind.

Naomi emerged from her room carrying a katana, the same one she had made before taking her place as clan head, and stopped when she finally noticed that he was still with her in the house. Kneeling down, she placed a hand on his shoulder and he instantly felt comforted by the gesture.

"I need you to follow my clone Itachi and stay with her until someone comes to help you. Don't leave for any reason, do you understand me?" Her tone was firm and unyielding as she ordered him about and he nodded before realizing what he had just agreed to. Part of him figured it was okay, after all his father trusted her completely. She nodded and molded her chakra around her, ready to leave with a teleportation jutsu, when Itachi looked up at her narrowed eyes.

"I promise I'll protect them both with my life, Naomi-sama," A small smile crept onto her face and there was an encouraging light in her eyes as she nodded firmly.

"I know you will Itachi-kun," Then she vanished in a poof of smoke.

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Beating the Kyuubi into submission was a nearly impossible feat, even with most of the village's shinobi working to push it out of the village. There had been panicking civilians all over the place and bodies littered the area that the massive fox had appeared inside the village walls, how it had done so in the first place was still unknown. Naomi tried to not think about what this meant for her dear younger friend, Kushina. Still, they had all persisted and fought until they had forced the bijuu from the village when Minato had appeared on the Hokage monument. For someone who hadn't been there, it would seem that it took the Yondaime Hokage only a few seconds to remove the threat and teleport it somewhere else. But in the thick of it, standing only a short ways from the beast that was threatening the village; the whole process seemed to take far too long.

Still, it was a miracle that the village had survived such an extreme attack and Naomi wanted to thank every Kami in existence, if they existed or not, for Minato's abilities being so useful. Now Sakura was safe and she felt just a little guilty and selfish that she wasn't at all thinking about the danger that Kushina and the newborn Naruto were in. Looking back to the barrier that surrounded the area Minato had taken the Kyuubi, she wondered how things were going. Was Kushina even still alive? She had heard that extracting the bijuu meant the death of the Jinchuriki that held it. She prayed again that Kushina's will was enough that such a thing had not happened.

A few minutes passed as the village shinobi milled around the barrier, pacing like uneasy wildcats as they waited for their Hokage to announce that everything was okay. In those few minutes, Naomi felt a twinge at the back of her mind as memories from her shadow clone came rushing at her. A smile pulled across her lips as she reviewed the memories to see that Fugaku had retrieved Itachi, Sasuke, and Sakura from her panic room. They were in safe hands now.

In that same moment the barrier started to fall and Naomi was the first to enter the area without any hesitation whatsoever. Some part of her wished that she hadn't as she looked upon the gruesome scene of Minato and Kushina's deaths, likely at the hands of the Kyuubi. A small pedestal next to them held their newborn child who was crying loudly as the blood of his parents started to pool around him. The black seal upon his stomach was evidence enough of what had happened between the bijuu and the Hokage. Shinobi started to flit onto the scene, led by the Sandaime Hokage, but the Haruno clan matriarch ignored them as she moved towards the baby. Carefully avoiding the blood, she picked him up and took off the over shirt she was wearing to wrap it around him. It was getting cold and she was not about to let him get a cold.

Hiruzen made his way over to her carefully, eyeing the child with curiosity as she tried her best to calm his cries until they were nothing but snuffles.

"The child is the Jinchuriki now," Nodding slowly, Naomi moved away from the former Hokage. She trusted him sure, but that didn't change the fact that he would do what was best for the village before thinking about Naruto. She couldn't let that happen. "He will have to go into the foster care system," Eyes widening, the Haruno matriarch moved forward to argue against him.

"That won't do him any good. He needs a family," Shinobi started to gather around them, some looking apprehensively at the child in her arms. No doubt they believed that Naruto could not handle the Kyuubi and it would soon start to rampage again, but she knew that if the child was one of Kushina's then everything would be fine.

"We'll find him one, I promise," Hiruzen's female teammate moved to take the child and Naomi dodged away from the elderly woman.

"I'll take him in," Her tone brooked no arguments, but everyone looked at her skeptically and she wondered what exactly they were all thinking. It was a child, just a newborn baby, and his parents had been her good friends for many years. Why would she not take him in now that he officially had no blood relatives to take care of him? Hiruzen watched her carefully, like she was some dangerous bear holding a child hostage.

"I know what happened was hard on you, but-" Normally Naomi would never cut the Sandaime off while he was talking, the man was extremely wise after all, but this time she didn't want to hear what he had to say.

"This isn't about me! It's about this child and the fact that he has no relatives! Minato and Kushina were dear friends to me; I would never let their child go without the love that he deserves!" Her rant made several shinobi back away from the now flustered Haruno matriarch. The Sandaime looked at her for a second, as if trying to judge if she was telling the truth or not, before nodding.

"Then Naruto has officially been adopted by the Haruno clan," Relief swept through the clan leader as she hugged the child closer to her and looked down at his face as he slept peacefully in her arms, unaware of how close he had been to not having a family for the rest of his life.

This was the beginning of something great.

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Please review! I appreciate having people give me feedback on what I've written.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Naruto and all characters and worlds associated with it belong solely to Masashi Kishimoto.

Well, another chapter. It took a while, but you can thank my unofficial beta, who will remain unnamed, for getting my ass into gear.

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Shuriken whirred across the courtyard of the Haruno main house and Naruto frowned as the weapons evaded their intended targets. The small throwing stars were generally his least favorite tools, probably because the six-year old could never get them to hit the targets. The inside of the newly carved circles were smooth and virtually unmarred but the outside was litter with small holes from his extensive, and somewhat useless, training. With a frustrated yell he picked up a kunai from the pile of weapons at his side, the knife being a tool he excelled at, and threw it at target and gave a small grin when it hit the middle of the target dead on.

He had been going at this for almost two hours now, ever since his sister had been taken into their mother's study for a long talk. He knew what it was about. The trip that they were going to take to Kirigakure had been the talk of both the clan and village for many weeks now and there was no way to avoid someone talking about it. He understood why Sakura was going, she was the heir to the clan after all, but why was he always excluded from even the smallest of talks?

"Naruto!" Making sure that there was a full blown smile on his face for his adoptive sister, Naruto turned away from the targets to see Sakura bounding down the steps of the house. Her wide green eyes, which she most definitely got from their father, were full of worry and he frowned as she came to a stop in front of him.

"Hey, Sakura. You okay?" She stopped for a second to catch her breath, as it was likely that she had run all over the compound looking for him when he had been at the house the whole time, and her lips turned into a worried pout once she looked back up at him.

"I've been looking all over for you!" She burst out, looking around their self-appointed training area as she pushed her cropped pink hair out of her eyes once more. She would probably have to get it cut before going to Kiri. The girl rounded on him with a somewhat critical look. "What's wrong?" Trying to keep his cool, he gave her a confused look.

"Why would anything be wrong?" She raised an eyebrow and gestured around the courtyard as if the state of it was answer enough. Naruto simply gave a shrug and hoped that she would let the subject drop. Unfortunately, that was never the case with his sister.

"You hate shuriken, Naruto," He looked at her as if wondering what her point was. Now he was genuinely confused. "You never practice with them unless something is wrong," Sighing at the unusual perceptiveness of his sister, the boy sat on the ground and splayed back on the soft, verdant grass. Sakura followed suit quietly, waiting for him to talk. They spent many spring days like this, just talking about everything and anything that they thought about, and usually they were joined by their friend from the Uchiha, Sasuke, but this was a conversation that Naruto felt could only be shared between siblings.

"It's nothing really. Just- " He cut off, wondering if it was right for him to voice his thoughts and concerns about the current atmosphere in the Haruno clan. He was adopted and although he was generally accepted, and well loved by his immediate family, the elders of the clan disliked him taking part in anything they felt should stay strictly within the Haruno clan. He knew that it was they who prevented him from joining Sakura at many clan events, that he inevitably snuck into with the help of Sasuke and Sakura herself, and it hurt to know that the callousness of the village was also a part of the family that had taken him in. Sakura turned to him with an encouraging look and he realized that he'd been silent for some time. "You and Okaa-san are going all the way to Kiri! I'll be here with only Otou-san for company and he's been so busy at the hospital recently…" There was more to it than a lack of companionship, after all he had Sasuke, but he wasn't quite sure if he should tell his sister about it. Hearing her soft voice, he turned to see that she was looking at the sky again.

"Okaa-san told me that the reason I get to go is because I'm the clan heir," She told him quietly as she stretched her arms above her head. "I think she wants to take you with us, but the elders are stopping her. I think they said it would be inappropriate," Everything was quiet for a minute as Naruto thought about the elders, his one true enemy amongst the Haruno clan who had shunned him from the beginning, before he gave an irritated huff and sat back up.

"I'll also have to walk all by myself to the Uchiha compound if I wanna go and see Sasuke-teme!" Hearing a sigh, Naruto looked over to see that Sakura was standing and had crossed her arms.

"You know that Otou-san and Okaa-san hate it when you call him that!" She told him admonishingly, shaking her head as he shrugged.

"He doesn't care. You know that, Sakura," Naruto tended to cherish the bonds that he made with people and while the relationship he had with his sister was special, so was Sasuke's. The petite girl always thought their actions were confusing, but they had never explained why they did things the way that they did.

"Never mind," She told him softly as her crossed arms fell to her sides. "Is that what's really bothering you though?" He gave her the confused look this time and she huffed at him in agitation. "You don't want to walk around town alone. You don't want to feel alone, do you?" He opened his mouth to protest, knowing that Sakura's over caring nature would make this one thought haunt her during the entirety of her stay at Kiri, but she stopped him. "Why don't you just ask Itachi-nii or Shisui-kun to come take you over to the Uchiha compound?" He looked affronted at the idea.

"Why? I don't need a babysitter!" The girl simply shook her head at the stubbornness of her brother.

"Not a babysitter, a friend!" Reaching for his hand she pulled the blond boy to his feet and started to guide him towards the exit of the Haruno clan compound. "C'mon, we can go ask them right now!" Naruto gave a protesting noise as Sakura pulled him along the route they had memorized to the Uchiha district.

* * *

It had been six long years since the Kyuubi attack on Konoha and for children like Sakura and Sasuke it seemed more like a bad dream than anything. But to everyone else in the village is may as well have happened the previous day with the way that the civilians and other shinobi treated Naruto. Even the Haruno clan elders, who had always been known for being level headed and rather kind, now persecuted the innocent boy. Naomi defended him fiercely and her title as the clan head kept him in the family, but only barely. It seemed that most of the clan followed the elders in their never ending campaign to have Naruto removed from the clan's roster and district.

Shisui was glad that Naomi had taken him in so easily and that her daughter was such a kind soul, otherwise he may have turned out like the other jinchuriki that were full of hate and sadness.

Turning his thoughts away from clan troubles, of any kind, he watched with a grin as Naruto and Sakura ran towards the Uchiha district although it looked more like Naruto was being dragged by his pink haired sister. They were likely on their way to visit Sasuke, who had been pestering Itachi about shuriken training lately, and he briefly thought that it couldn't hurt to intercept the duo.

It took only a second to appear in front of the two kids, but neither seemed too terribly surprised to see him. Sakura's face burst into an excited smile as she abandoned her brother and squealed an enthusiastic 'Shisui!' before launching herself at him. Naruto simply gave him a glare that was quite formidable considering his age and he responded with a grin. It was well known throughout all of Konoha that Shisui was Sakura's favorite person outside of her family. Sasuke was one of her best friends and Itachi was like her older brother, but neither seemed to hold a candle to the older Uchiha in Sakura's mind. Why she held such obvious affection for him was unknown and the Haruno heir only ever stated that he was simply 'a precious person'. It was confusing to all save Sakura and Shisui, but everyone accepted it regardless.

"What are you two doing, if I may ask?" Sakura continued to give him a tight hug that could have crushed bones, but one that he was used to by now, and Naruto frowned at the two of them. Shisui had to keep from chuckling at the protective instincts that were already starting to rise in the boy.

"We came to see if you and Itachi-nii would walk with Naruto around Konoha when Okaa-san and I are gone," The boy became red instantly and started to grumble under his breath about not needing a babysitter when his sister elbowed him in the stomach and he stopped instantly. Shisui looked at the two with a knowing look, aware that Naruto didn't like to burden Sakura with his problems. His life almost revolved around the little girl.

"Why would we need to walk you around town?" He asked the blond as they began to walk down the street again, Sakura holding Shisui's hand as she walked between the two of them. The Uchiha district was starting to come into view and Naruto frowned as they passed under the district gates.

"Because people always glare and whisper if I'm alone!" It wasn't surprising to know that people treated him so harshly if he was alone, but Shisui felt that it should have. They had all been saved from the Kyuubi's destruction by the boy becoming a jinchuriki and instead of gratitude; they showered him with their hatred for the fox that he kept unknowingly at bay.

"You just have to ignore them Naruto," The blond boy gave him a disbelieving look. "They're just being idiots, so the best thing to do is ignoring them and walk with your head held high. They have no idea what they're talking about," Naruto sighed, but stood straighter as they got closer to the main house where Sasuke was standing outside with a frown on his face. Itachi had probably just refused to train him again, claiming he had work at the ANBU HQ.

As the two siblings bounded up to the third part of their trio, Shisui felt a frown pull at his lips. Naruto was a good kid with loving parents and an understanding sister, who worried about him more than he would ever know, and he even made friends amongst his peers at the Academy. But even a child with so much to keep him going couldn't withstand the ire of an entire village. He looked happy now when he argued with Sasuke and played with his two closest friends, but when Naomi and Sakura left for Kiri half of the support keeping him up would disappear.

Vanishing quickly, Shisui set out to find his stoic younger cousin. Perhaps they could briefly take up the spots that the Haruno matriarch and heir would leave open for two weeks.

* * *

Fugaku watched his closest friend as she sighed and finished another saucer of sake. The woman had come to the Uchiha compound a few hours ago, looking like she had just been through hell, and he had welcomed her without hesitation. Her children had come by earlier, but she showed no indication of going out to check on her daughter and son. They were sitting on the porch that wrapped around the main house, enjoying the simplicity of the garden out back, and Mikoto had stopped by earlier with leftover dango and some sake for the two old teammates. Much of their visits were spent like this, but neither had any desire to change their routine.

"This trip to Kirigakure is causing you a lot of stress," He commented as the clan head refilled her saucer but left it at her side. Looking back at the garden, he thought about how Naomi had been running all over the village recently making preparations for her trip to the mist village with Sakura. Today was likely the last day that she had to perform any errands which was also probably the reason that she had stopped here. It had been a while since they had visited with each other, almost an entire month it seemed, and the Uchiha patriarch was only too happy to spend a few hours with the Haruno matriarch. "That usually isn't the case."

"I know," She told him with an exasperated groan. "It's just the elders, and the Council, and that damn Danzo!" She punctuated the end of her statement by hitting the sliding door behind her with the back of her head, the wooden frame giving a shudder under the pressure as if alive.

"I assume the problem is the usual one," He meant Naruto of course, not that he had anything against the boy, but trouble had followed him into the Haruno clan head's home like a hurricane. Fugaku had always supported her decision to take in the boy, just like she had supported and defended him when others had blamed the Uchiha clan for the Kyuubi attack, but sometimes he wondered how she had the strength to keep going. With all that had happened in her life, all the losses she had suffered in the war, Naomi had become fragile in some ways that no one else knew.

"It's not just Naruto," He finished his saucer and she picked hers up with purpose. "Danzo hates the agreement that my clan has with Kiri and he has the Council all fired up. I swear Sarutobi is the only reason I'm still going."

"He probably thinks that you're going to betray the village," The idea that Naomi, of all people, would betray her home village was rather ridiculous. Her loyalty to Konoha was iron clad. But Danzo had never approved of the agreement that had stood between the Haruno clan and Kiri, an agreement that the village's founders had allowed.

"Most likely, the baka," She muttered under her breath as she finished another saucer. The hour was starting to become late as the lanterns around the Uchiha district started to light up around them and Naomi sighed heavily, clearly still thinking on the issue at hand.

"Yet here you are, victorious," A grin spread across her face and she turned to him, raising her newly filled saucer in a toast, and he mused that Sakura had likely inherited her mother's personality in more ways than one. He had only ever seen such an accomplished smile on the face of her daughter. "When will you be leaving?"

"In a week," Her somber expression returned as she put the saucer in her hand down. "Fugaku, I'm worried."

"About Naruto?" He asked as Mikoto walked by and lit the lanterns on the porch. Everything brightened instantly, but there were still shadows hovering at the edge of his vision.

"I'm honestly more worried about the elders," She said softly to him watching the koi in his pond swim around, eyeing the shining scales beneath the water. "They keep acting oddly. What if they do something to him while I'm gone?"

"They won't," His voice was determined and fierce, just like it had always been when he talked of protecting anyone important to him. It had been many years since they had sworn to protect not only each other but also those they each held close to their hearts and the time had not weathered that promise in the slightest. If the elders tried anything, Fugaku would interfere. His clan or not.

"Thank you, Fugaku," The sound of children laughing echoed through the halls and both knew that the Haruno matriarch would be staying for dinner at the Uchiha residence this night. He would have to remember to send a notice to her husband at the hospital that they were waiting for him. As full night started to take over the chakra signatures of his eldest son and nephew started to make their way back to the house for dinner. He sighed, thinking that Shisui would never be able to fend for himself one day. Naomi stood next to him, stretching her arms high in the air.

"Mikoto should be starting on dinner about now," He told her, gathering the sake and saucers in his hands.

"Fugaku?" He knew that tone of voice and didn't turn to look up at his old teammate, already planning his response to the question he knew she was going to ask. "Are you still mad at the village?" It was a subtle question, really. A few months ago, during one of his visits to the Haruno compound, he had voiced his displeasure with the village and how they were still blaming the Uchiha for the Kyuubi attack. His discontent, at the time, had morphed into a desire to see the village fall for what they had done to his clan. Naomi had given him a careful look, nothing like the reaction that he expected, and told him to think through the consequences of those actions. Then she hadn't spoken of it since. He had thought about it for a long time, but the decision was made for him one day.

Naruto and Sakura had come over to the Uchiha district, as usual, and were training near the lake with Sasuke. Shisui and Itachi had been there at the time, the two older shinobi giving the academy students some pointers in stance and technique. It had been a normal day, nothing particularly special about it. But that had been it, because even though the rest of the village damned the Uchiha clan, save for people like the Haruno clan, his children were still happy. At that moment, he knew that was all he truly needed in life. Just the happiness of his children, even those who were not his own.

"Yes, but I don't really care anymore," With a gentle smile and kind dark blue eyes, Naomi walked away without saying anything else about the subject. It was unlikely that they would ever talk about it again.

* * *

Sighing at the dramatic exit that Naomi and her heir were making, Fugaku almost decided to simply walk away from the eccentric pair. There was a fairly large group at the gates to see them off, including his own family plus Shisui, and hugs were being passed around to everyone. He stood off to the side, having already given his farewells to his friend, so he didn't expect for Sakura to come running up to him. She wrapped her arms around his legs, perhaps knowing he wouldn't pick her up for a hug, and looked up at him with a gleeful smile.

"I'll see you in two weeks, Fugaku-oji!" He gave her a smile, one reserved for his family, and she ran back to Shisui and Itachi.

Noting that Naruto was being fussed over by his mother, he shook his head and looked around to see that some citizens were giving the mother and son critical glares. He sent the classic Uchiha death glare their way and they moved on, cowering under his gaze. He had promised to protect the boy while Naomi was gone and he was going to keep that promise fully.

"We'll be back soon!" Naomi yelled as she and Sakura started to walk through the massive gates of the village. Bright blue eyes watched them go and Fugaku put a firm hand on the boy's shoulder.

"They aren't leaving forever," Naruto grinned up at him, but there was still uncertainty behind his gaze.

"I know, but it feels like they are."

* * *

Next chapter we're off to Kirigakure where the agreement between the Haruno clan and the village will be revealed.

Also, I would like to tell my (very few, but beloved) readers that I will be posting a series of oneshots that will feature Sakura in some way, merely so that I can get the idea out of my head. However, if a oneshot gets enough attention it may turn into a chaptered story. No promises just yet, as I want to focus on Blade's Edge.


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